


Drawing the Line

by Orrymain



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M, Missing Scene, Relationship(s), Romance, Slash, post-episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-11-02
Updated: 2003-11-02
Packaged: 2019-03-16 15:04:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13638675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orrymain/pseuds/Orrymain
Summary: Jack and Daniel come to terms with Jack's choices on Euronda, including his humiliation of Daniel in front of the rest of SG-1 and the Eurondans





	Drawing the Line

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Boy / Michael Shanks](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Boy_Fanfiction_Archive), wand was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Boy / Michael Shanks collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/theboymichaelshanks/profile).

Drawing the Line

### Drawing the Line

#### by Orrymain

Date Archived: 11/02/03  
Website:   
Status: Complete  
Category: Drama, Angst, Romance, Relationship, Slash, Missing Scene, Post-Episode  
Characters/Pairings: Col. Jack O'Neill, Teal'c, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Maj. Samantha Carter     Jack/Daniel         
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers:   
Permission to archive:   
Series:   
Notes:   
Warnings:   
Disclaimer:   
Summary: Jack and Daniel come to terms with Jack's choices on Euronda, including his humiliation of Daniel in front of the rest of SG-1 and the Eurondans   


* * *

Drawing the Line  
Author: Orrymain  
Author Website: http://orrymain.raikiri.net/fanfichome.html Category: Slash, Angst, Missing Scene/Epilogue, Romance, Established Relationship Pairing: Jack/Daniel .... and it's all J/D Rating: PG-13  
Season: 4 - immediately after The Other Side Spoilers: The Other Side  
Size: 21kb, short story  
Written: October 16,19-20,26-27, November 2, 2003 Archive: Area52, Comfort Zone, FanFiction.Net, Cartouche, AlphaGate, TheBoy Disclaimer: Usual disclaimers -- not mine, wish they were, especially Daniel, and Jack, too, but they aren't. This was a whim; all in fun. I don't have anything to do with them legally! Summary: Jack and Daniel come to terms with Jack's choices on Euronda, including his humiliation of Daniel in front of the rest of SG-1 and the Eurondans Notes: Thanks to my betas who always make my fics better: Mama Beast, Drdjlover, Suzanna! ... and to Michele for the read through! 

Drawing the Line  
by Orrymain 

**JACK**

Wow, Daniel wouldn't like this. The General just made it clear that I am supposed to make a deal for some weaponry if these "kindred" have something that would help us against the Goa'uld. Things have been changing politically, so the winds of the SGC have had to sail along with them. 

I hate watching Danny have to play soldier more and more. It's been hard on him, as we go further away from first contact situations and run head first into political messes. Danny's an explorer. I want him to do what he loves. I hope he understands that as much as I believe in military power and might, that I wish things hadn't changed. 

Who knows ... maybe these "kindred" will have something to help us, and we can get back to romping through the universe's playground. 

**DANIEL**

I don't believe this. He's not even listening to me. We need to ask questions before we turn over heavy water to these strangers. I'm all for helping them; in fact, I pushed for it, but there's something wrong here. 

Listen to me, Jack. Why are you tuning me out? 

**SAM**

I've never seen them like this. This is more than their usual bickering, and I guess the thing that is different is that they are throwing words at each other, but neither is truly listening. Normally, when they argue, they hear the other, but today, their words are dying in the air. 

The Colonel is following our standing orders, to procure weapons when possible, and lately ... well, lately the push has been on to achieve more militarily. 

Daniel has a point, but orders are orders. I'm sorry, Daniel, but I have to side with the Colonel on this one. 

**TEAL'C**

I do not approve when O'Neill uses me to make his point with DanielJackson. I understand metaphors perfectly. I shall speak with O'Neill about this later. 

I am not happy with their fighting. It is most unusual. They should speak more softly, and be considerate. I shall speak with O'Neill about this later as well. 

What is a metaphor? 

**JACK**

Didn't I tell him not to push this? I explained about our orders. Okay, so I had Carter explain it. I even had her take him back to the SGC. I had hoped he would stay there until this business was through. 

Come on Daniel. Get with the program. These people can help us, big time. We have to be willing to give a little. 

Danny, stop. No more questions. I can't let you go on. You have to stop ... now. 

He just keeps going, like a defiant child, testing the boundaries. I've tried to get him to slow down, but he won't. 

Stop, Daniel. We need their weapons. It's a good trade off. It's only heavy water. They are in a war, a civil war. They are the good guys. They've said so. I have to believe them. Hammond wants me to buy their words, so does the government. 

I don't have a choice, Daniel. I've been more or less ordered to accept his words at face value, and to be truthful, I want to. Think about it Love ... weapons to end the war with the Goa'uld. It could be over. I could retire. We could be free to love. 

Stop Danny. Please stop. NO MORE. YOU HAVE TO STOP. I'm in command. They have to see and respect that. You have to respect it, too. I have to draw the line here. 

"Daniel, shut up. Is that clear enough?" 

Look at you, looking at me like a wounded lamb. Gawd, I hate myself for putting that look on your face, for injuring your spirit, but I had no choice. You didn't listen Danny. You crossed the line. I'm sorry. I love you, but this time, you're wrong. 

**DANIEL**

I can't believe he told me to shut up. How could you do that, Jack? How could you dismiss me like a child, without even listening? 

Don't you realize Alar is hiding something? More than that, don't you trust me enough to at least consider the possibility that I'm right? 

Why Jack? Why did you have to say that, in front of everyone? You humiliated me. You could have waited, but you chose not to. 

I know we're different, but I never thought you'd treat me like a second class citizen. Not you, never you. 

Now what? Where do we go from here? You can't take it back, and I can't forget that you said it. Where does that leave us? How can we have a relationship where there's no respect? Gawd Jack, what have you done? 

**JACK**

Heaven help me, Danny was right. These people aren't what they seem. Alar said Teal'c wasn't "like us," like he was some sub-human creature. 

I have to apologize. His hand is cold as I touch it. His eyes -- they are confused. 

Thank you, Love, for listening to me. I guess I should have listened to you earlier. You can make me suffer tonight, at home, in our bed. 

Oh, Danny, how can I make this up to you? Please let me try, but first, we need to find out the truth about these "kindred" so we get the heck out of Dodge as soon as possible. 

**DANIEL**

I wonder what happened. Jack came around. It took a while, but somehow he got the message, though I don't believe it was anything I said. 

But what's going on? Why is Jack looking like that as he stands at the top of the ramp ... and Sam ... she looks ... wow, she looks almost as blank as Jack does. I've missed something. 

I've already forgiven you, Jack, for telling me to shut up. I know why you did it, but I do need to make sure you understand that it can't happen again. We're going to discuss this, My Love ... a lot ... tonight ... as soon as I get you home. 

Jack, what did you do to look like that? 

**JACK**

I'm sorry, Danny. Maybe I'm not the person you think I am. But ... I made another choice. I didn't want to unleash that Hitler into our world. 

I see you there, at the base of the ramp, gaping at me, totally clueless about what just happened, but you'll know soon enough. It'll come out in the mission briefing, and even if it doesn't, I could never keep this from you. 

You're my angel. Forgive me, Danny, though I don't know if I can ever forgive myself for letting you down ... again. 

* * *

"Daniel, give a guy a break. Be reasonable." 

"Reasonable? You told me to shut up, in front of Sam and Teal'c, not to mention Alar and his group, though admittedly they aren't worth caring about. Still, you sat there and told me to shut up." 

Jack and Daniel had been arguing ever since they returned home after the disastrous mission on Euronda. It had been painful for each of the members of SG-1 in one way or another. The briefing had been especially intense, everyone seeming hesitant to talk about what had happened on the planet. It had gone on for hours. 

The couple was tired and emotionally drained, but their argument over the events on Euronda couldn't be tamed, and thus, for the past thirty minutes, they had rehashed the mission until both were frustrated and on the verge of taking their work disagreement deeply into their personal space, something they usually tried not to do. 

"What was I supposed to do? You weren't listening to me," Jack took a breath, becoming more on edge as their discussion escalated. 

"Daniel, when we're in a negotiation like that, I have to be the leader. My command can't be questioned. It's important to be a united front; it's the military way." 

"But I'm not military, Jack, and as you know, I always question your command, or any command that acts without thinking. And even more to the point, I don't ever hear you telling Sam or Teal'c to shut up when you disagree with them. Aren't I entitled to the same courtesy you extend to them?" 

"Daniel, you're exaggerating." 

"No, Jack, I'm not. I expect the same courtesy you give Sam and Teal'c. You say that you love me, that you respect me. You say I'm one of the brightest people you've ever known, and yet on missions you treat me like I'm nothing but a major embarrassment. 

"Well, wake up and smell the coffee, O'Neill, sometimes I do know what I'm talking about, and sometimes I am right." 

"Thank you for your support, Daniel." 

"Jack, I'm part of your team. My job, my ... function ... is to ask questions, and to give you alternatives, but how can I do that if you try and ... and gag me?" 

"Gag you? Danny, your motor mouth was in full force on that planet. I couldn't get you to keep it closed for 30 lousy seconds." 

"Motor mouth? That's rich, Jack. Thanks. You sound like I'm a nagging wife or something that you can't shut up. Maybe I should just quit for your sake. Stay home and do all the things a good little wife should, including learning to keep my mouth shut and obey my lord and master, the great Jack O'Neill. Is that what you want ... Dear?" 

"Oh, for crying out loud. Don't go there, Daniel. You know that's not what I want, but ... Come on, Danny, you know how you are. Once you start, it's near impossible to turn you off." 

"Turn me off? Oh, Jack, you want me turned off. You got it," Daniel said smugly, delivering a silent message. 

Jack immediately saw he would be sleeping alone tonight if things didn't take a turn for the better soon. 

"Danny, you should have waited and talked to me privately; that's all I'm saying." 

"Oh, and when was I supposed to do that? You were making the deal, right then, and you had ignored all my requests prior to that, so when exactly was I supposed to talk to you? I didn't have a choice, Jack, and you know it." 

"And neither did I. I had to ..." 

"... tell me to shut up, humiliate me in front of my teammates, make me look like a fool to potential allies, even if they were garbage?" 

"Daniel, I said I was sorry." 

"And why was that? Which of my words finally got through to you, Jack?" 

Jack took a deep breath and looked away. He was well aware that Daniel knew the truth, that it wasn't what Daniel had said, but instead, it had been his conversation with Alar as they headed for the Stargate that had Jack's hairs standing on the back of his neck. Jack had blown it big time, and he couldn't blame his lover for being upset. 

"It wasn't me, was it?" Daniel prodded, seeing Jack's discomfort, but wanting his partner to admit the truth. 

"No, not entirely. Alar made a comment about Teal'c not being like us, and that's when I started thinking you might be right." 

"Might be? That's kind of you." 

"Daniel. I'm sorry ... very, very, very, very sorry." 

"You told me to shut up," Daniel said wearily. 

The argument had gone on too long, and Jack had apologized ... repeatedly. Daniel knew his soul mate was being pressured by higher ups. He also knew that Jack had been fighting hard to keep some of the exploration in the program, and Daniel knew it was because of him that Jack was trying so determinedly. 

Thus, Daniel decided to shift his mode of "discussion," his bottom lip in its sour mode, his eyes drooping. 

Jack carefully sauntered up to his pouting lover, risking a right hook in his mind, by putting his arms around Daniel's waist. 

"Danny, I am sorry. I know what I said, and it was definitely wrong and ... out of line, but you have to understand, times have changed. The powers behind the SGC aren't as interested in exploration anymore as they are in ..." 

"... Big honkin' weapons?" 

Jack nodded and sighed, "I don't like it, Danny, but they are putting on the pressure. They want something to fight with. You'd get sick attending some of those meetings that I have to, listening to them. I'm ... a fighter, and you know that, but I don't like the new plan, but what can I do?" 

"You can do what's right," Daniel spoke solemnly, placing his hands on Jack's forearms and rubbing gently up and down. 

"Danny ..." 

"No, Jack. I love you, but there's no freakin' way I'm going to let you get away with treating me like a child you don't respect during a negotiation." 

"I didn't ..." 

"Yes, Love, you did. You knew I had doubts, but you wouldn't listen to me. You let the ... prime directive ... motivate you. Jack, I don't care if you do what you have to do, as long as you do it with understanding and without making me look like a bumbling imbecile." 

"Daniel, you wouldn't stop. I needed you to stop." 

"You weren't listening either, Jack. Not at all. You could have taken me outside and spoken to me in private. I still wouldn't have liked what you had to say, but at least it wouldn't have been so humiliating. That wouldn't have done it for you though, would it? 

"You were in full Alpha mode, running full steam ahead with visions of weapons dancing in your head, knowing you had Hammond and the Pentagon firmly on your six. So ... you took advantage, Jack. You were determined to stamp your authority over me for all to see, weren't you?" 

Jack moved away from Daniel, walking close to the patio door. He put his hands up to his head and ran his fingers through his hair. He paced the room for a few minutes while Daniel stood where Jack had left him, only a few feet in front of the entrance way, his arms now folded. Daniel watched Jack intently, waiting to see what he'd say. 

"I didn't know what to do. Danny ... I'm sorry. I guess I wanted those big honkin' weapons, too, and I let it ... gawd, Daniel, I am sorry. I let it take over." 

Daniel smiled, knowing Jack had finally admitted the entire truth to himself, just as Daniel had done within his own being. He walked to Jack, placing his right hand over Jack's heart, the other at his lover's waist. 

"Jack, I know you're sorry. But I meant what I said, never again, not like that." 

"Danny," Jack said leaning his head against Daniel's forehead, a symbol of their unity even when things got a bit rough. 

"I love you, and I respect you so much. You deserve better, and I, more than anyone, know that." 

Jack was full of sorrow for his words to Daniel during the negotiations, and yet he didn't know how to express it. All he felt he could do was try to explain what he was feeling, and hope that maybe his body language could say what words could not. 

"They had so much that could have helped us. The military ... they drum it into us ... the need for superiority. We could have defeated the Goa'uld, and here on Earth, the sky was the limit. I guess it blinded me for a while. I didn't think about the cost, and I was ... angry that you were. I was wrong." 

"Jack," Daniel said caressing Jack's chest, "I know the higher powers want weapons, that they are putting the heat on the SGC, on Hammond and you, to get those devices. Our missions are different now, and to be honest, I hate that. I realize they are hounding you, urging you to do anything and everything to acquire something to help us in the battle. I can handle that. I can handle losing the argument, as long as you listen. Is that so much to ask, especially between us?" 

"No, no, Angel, it's not," Jack answered as the lovers moved in for their first kiss of the night. 

"I should have listened to you." 

"We both should have worked harder, Jack. We need to be more diligent in the future. Maybe I could have approached it differently, too, rather than barging ahead with the questions." 

"Are you going to be angry if I agree with you?" 

Daniel laughed, "No, Babe, not angry, but you might be cold when you sleep on the couch tonight." 

"Daniel!" 

"Just kidding. I love you, Jack, and I hate fighting with you." 

"It's not my idea of a good time either. And by the way, I happen to love you, too." 

"Good to know, Jack," Daniel chuckled as he kissed Jack again before continuing, "so, what shall we do tonight?" 

"ESPN is having a hockey special, airing back to back Stanley Cup games from years past. It should be great. We'll order pizza and ..." 

Jack's words were silenced by Daniel's hand firmly on Jack's lips. 

"Jack, Love, listen carefully to what I'm about to say and know I say it with the deepest love and devotion I can ... Jack, shut up. Is that clear enough for you?" 

Daniel removed his hand, allowing his partner to speak. 

"Crystal." 

"Good, now here's what we're going to do. We're going to order pizza, because I love you and you love pizza and this is a compromise, and then we're going to eat the pizza, and then Jack, we're going to bed, and we're going to make love ... over and over again until we're so exhausted that the phone won't wake us up. Any objections?" 

"No, Sir, not a one!" Jack barked out as if he were a private. 

"That's a good little Colonel." 

"Not little, Daniel." 

"Not little at all, Jack," Daniel smiled, as he leaned into an embrace, and sighed, "Gawd, this feels good." 

"Danny, thank you ... for being my Angel, and loving me even when I'm a first class jerk." 

"It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it, and I seem to be the one stuck with it." 

"You're so noble." 

"Jack, how hungry are you?" 

Jack grinned as he saw the lust in his love's eyes. 

"For you, starving." 

"Bed first, pizza second." 

"Sounds like a plan, Dr. Jackson." 

* * *

It was 3:15 a.m. and Daniel awoke holding on to a white fluffy pillow. However, he grumbled realizing that wasn't the pillow he wanted to be clinging to. He much preferred his Jack pillow, the same one he had fallen asleep on a few hours earlier. 

Daniel rose and put on his navy blue velvet robe and slippers and went in search of his wayward lover, finding him on the roof deck looking through his telescope. 

"What do you see?" 

"Stars. Lots and lots of stars," Jack said, putting the lens on the telescope, and then standing and walking over to Daniel, kissing him, and hugging him tenderly. 

"Are you okay, Babe?" Daniel asked. 

"Yeah, it's just ... I murdered him, Danny. He may have been garbage, but I still killed him." 

"No, you didn't, Love. You told Alar not to follow you, and he knew about the iris, so ... he gambled and he lost." 

"You make it sound so simple," Jack whispered into his heart's ear, still embracing him as Daniel made smoothing circling caresses on Jack's back. 

"No, it's not simple, but it is what happened. Jack, even if you knew Alar would follow you through the Stargate, the choice was still his. He knew what could happen, so it may be a simplification, but those are the facts." 

"You're not going to let me take the wrap for this, are you?" 

"No, I'm not. You didn't hold a gun to his head, Jack." 

"But I ordered the iris closed. Isn't that the same thing?" 

"He made the decision to follow you. Jack, don't beat yourself over the head because of Alar. He's not worth it." 

"Danny ..." 

"Jack, listen to me. Were you right? I don't know. I can't answer that, any more than I could grant you absolution, but, what I do know is that you didn't force Alar to do anything, and closing the iris is standard procedure for the situation we were in. So, I can't say you were right, but I can say you weren't wrong either." 

"I love you, Danny." 

"Let's go back to bed, Love. I need my special pillow to be ... comfy." 

"Gotta have you comfy," Jack said as he kissed Daniel, then correcting himself, "gotta have you, Danny." 

"You've got me, Babe, forever and ever." 

Jack laughed, "Sounds like a song. I've got you Babe, and I do, don't I ... even when I mess up?" 

"You're human, Jack. I don't need you to be perfect. I only need to listen, like now, when I say it's time to go to bed. I want to hold you and show you just how much I love you." 

"You show me every day, Danny, just by being here." 

"Let's go to bed, Jack." 

Jack nodded as the two went back to their bedroom, to revel in their nation of two, having survived yet another crisis of their spirits. As always, they were the victors, and would go on to face more battles in the days to come. 

~~Finis - Finished - Done - The End - But is it ever Really?~~   
  


* * *

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Orrymain


End file.
